Tag: NBA

Kings unable to continue hot start as they lose to Rockets 122-119

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Photo credit: clutchpoints.com

By Ana Kieu

The Sacramento Kings hit the road to open a back-to-back series against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Thursday evening. The Kings looked to continue their hot start, but ended up losing to the Rockets 122-119 in the first game of a back-to-back series.

The Kings rolled with their tried-and-true starting lineup of De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley III, and Richaun Holmes. But it wasn’t enough to contain James Harden and the Rockets.

The Kings were off to a fast start. Harrison Barnes opened the scoring with a 3-pointer at 11:31 of the first quarter. Buddy Hield made a 2-point shot tied the game at 14 with 6:45 left in the first. Former Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, who signed a one-year contract with the Rockets on December 1, missed a second free throw that could’ve tied the game, and the Kings held onto a 33-32 lead at the end of the first.

Corey Joseph entered the game for De’Aaron Fox to start the second quarter. The Kings went on an 8-2 run late in the second. Harrison Barnes made a driving layup, Richaun Holmes made a pullup jump shot off a pass from De’Aaron Fox, and Buddy Hield hit two 3-pointers. However, the Kings’ 4-point lead quickly disappeared as James Harden made a driving layup and a 2-point shot to give the Rockets a 63-59 lead at halftime.

The Rockets went on a 9-2 run to start the second half, but the Kings caught up late in the third quarter. Harrison Barnes made a pair of free throws to pull the Kings within 2 with 6:46 left in the third. De’Aaron Fox hit a 3-pointer to give the Kings an 87-86 lead with 35.9 seconds left in the third. Fox then missed a 2-point shot, and the Kings settled for an 87-86 lead after three quarters.

With the score tied at 90, Houston decided to challenge the John Wall shooting foul. After further review, the challenge was ruled successful. As a result, the play was a Harrison Barnes tip and it counted. The Kings led 92-90 at 10:40 of the fourth quarter.

Cory Joseph made a 2-point shot to give the Kings their biggest lead of the game, 99-92, with 8:24 left in the fourth. The Rockets had some dry spells, but they bounced back to beat the Kings 122-119 for their first win of the season. The Rockets moved to 1-2.

The Kings fell to 3-2. Harrison Barnes led all scorers with 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist. Richaun Holmes had 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 assists. De’Aaron Fox had 22 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. Buddy Hield had 19 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton had 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. Cory Joseph had 9 points, 5 assists, and 1 assist. Nemanja Bjelica had 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. Marvin Bagley III added 4 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist.

The Kings wrap up their back-and-back series against the Rockets on Saturday, January 2 at 2 pm PT.

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings get 7 players in double figures dominate Nuggets 125-115

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(@SacramentoKings photo) De’Aaron Fox (3) celebrates after scoring. Fox led the Kings in scoring on Tue Dec 29, 2020 against the Denver Nuggets at Golden One Center

On Headline Sports with Tony R:

#1 The Sacramento Kings pick up a key win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night 125-115. The win marked the second home victory for the Kings and put the Kings two games over the .500 mark at 3-1.

#2 One thing about Kings head coach Luke Walton he made sure that the Kings came out of the first half competitive, offensively ready and they protected the first half lead by a good margin 74-62.

#3 Seeing how the Kings have been winning their games but in the second half the Nuggets outscored the Kings 53-51 but the Nuggets couldn’t make up the lesser ten points and the Kings came away with the victory.

#4 The Kings had seven players finish in double figures with De’Aaron Fox 24, Richaun Holmes 20, Marvin Bagley III 18, Tyrese Haliburton and Harrison Barnes both with 13, and Nemanja Bjelica and Buddy Hield with 12 points.

#5 Kings are in Houston for New Year’s eve for a 4:00PM tip on Thursday night then the second game of the two game series on Sat Jan 2 at 2:00pm in Houston.

Join Tony for Headline Sports every other Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings storm back in fourth to beat Nuggets 125-115

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Photo credit: @ESPN1320

By Ana Kieu

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings returned to the hardwood for a game against the Denver Nuggets at Golden 1 Center on Tuesday evening.

The Kings stormed back in the fourth quarter to beat the Nuggets 125-115 on Tuesday. De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 24 points, 10 assists, and 3 rebounds. Richaun Holmes added 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Sacramento improved to 3-1, while Denver fell to 1-3.

The Kings starting lineup featured De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley III, and Richaun Holmes. Like Denver, Sacramento contributed to multiple ties and lead changes throughout the game.

Michael Porter Jr. got on the board with a 2-point shot 28 seconds into the first quarter. The Nuggets went on a 12-5 run, but the Kings began to play great defense. Buddy Hield hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 16 with 7:02 left in the first.

The Nuggets got ahead of the Kings by 2 points late in the first. Facundo Campazzo set up Isaiah Hartenstein for a layup with 12.1 seconds left in the first. The Kings trailed 34-32 at the end of the first.

Buddy Hield entered the game for De’Aaron Fox to start the second quarter. Hield was unapologetically himself. He hit a 3-pointer to give the Kings a 41-38 lead with 9:58 left in the second. But he Kings’ lead turned out to be short-lived as PJ Dozier responded with a 3-pointer of his own 15 seconds later.

In spite of all the adversity, Sacramento began to pick up speed late in the second. Marvin Bagley III hit a 3-pointer, Tyrese Haliburton added a finger roll layup, and Richaun Holmes had an alley-oop dunk on a pass from De’Aaron Fox, just to name a few.

The Kings maintained their composure and executed two standout plays in the first half. Richaun Holmes helped the Kings to a 10-point lead, 64-54, with 2:17 left in the second. Harrison Barnes hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer and gave the Kings a 12-point halftime lead, 74-62.

Richaun Holmes made a jumper on a pass from Harrison Barnes to make it 76-64 Kings at 10:33 of the third quarter. Holmes followed up with another jumper to extend the Kings’ lead to 78-64 with 9:57 left in the third.

The Nuggets hustled up the court, tied the game at 81, and took an 82-81 lead with 6:05 left in the third. Nikola Jokic hit a game-tying 2-point shot and made a go-ahead free throw. Jokic’s scoring clinic caused the Kings to trail 100-96 after three quarters of play.

The Kings bounced back in the fourth quarter. The Kings’ bench outscored Denver 35-19 late in the fourth. De’Aaron Fox got an 8-foot bank shot to put the Kings up 122-113 with 51 seconds left in the fourth. Buddy Hield sealed the win with a 3-pointer with 32.1 seconds remaining.

The Kings ring in the New Year with a game against the Houston Rockets on New Year’s Eve at 4 pm PT.

Warriors get a win over Pistons 116-106, finish road trip with 2-2 record

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The Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman (33) gets tangled up with the Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin (23) during their game Tue Dec 29, 2020 in Detroit (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors finished the four-game road-trip win a win over the Detroit Pistons 116-106 Tuesday night. The win evened the Warriors’ record to 2-2. The Pistons, coached by Dwayne Casey, dropped to 0-4.

Energized by their thriller one-point win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, the Warriors wanted the momentum to carryover Tuesday night against Detroit. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr hoped to see improved play from Kelly Oubre, Jr. and Andrew Wiggins.

He wanted to know if the second unit could put points on the board. He wanted to know if bench players Eric Paschall, Brad Wanamaker, Damion Lee, and Kevon Looney would mesh. Kelly Oubre had his best game as a Warrior.

He made his first three-point shot of the season. He was a terror on defense. In the third quarter, he blocked a shot and took it the other way for the score. Andrew Wiggins had a big night, too. Wiggins got hot in the fourth quarter as he paced the Warrior attack with 15 points. He made three threes as the Warriors went on a 17-4 run. Paschall, Looney, Lee, and Wanamaker all made their presence felt to help the Warriors win.

The teams played a very competitive first half. The Pistons won the first quarter, 29-24. The Pistons started the second quarter with a 9-2 run to lead 38-26. Detroit’s big men, Mason Plumlee and Blake Griffin were getting offensive rebounds. The Pistons had 13-second chance points to propel them into the lead. The Warriors fought back and finished the half trailing by three 51-48. Wiggins, Paschall, and Oubre all made buckets to keep the Warriors close.

The Warriors started the third quarter on a 10-3 run to grab the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter. The key play on the run was Oubre’s block and score to put the Warriors in the lead 58-54. The Pistons did not cave. The Warriors held the lead until Detroit passed them late in the quarter 76-75. The Warriors countered with a bucket to end the quarter leading by one 77-76.

In the fourth quarter, with Curry on the bench, Andrew Wiggins led the second unit on a 17-4 run to win the game for the Warriors. Wiggins played well on both ends of the court. Curry came back with less than five minutes on the clock. The Warriors increased the lead to 13 106-93. The Pistons refused to quit. They made a late run to close the gap to five with 1:42 left to play. Damion Lee, who hit the game-winner against the Bulls, drained a three to ice the win. The final score was 116-106.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors played well on defense. The Pistons shot 30% from the first half. They managed to hold the lead as they took more shots than the Warriors. For the game, Detroit shot 38%. Detroit took 92 shots. The Warriors were 38-for 76 from the floor, good for 50%. The Warriors made 14 threes in 33 tries. The Warriors outrebounded Detroit 58-53. However, Detroit had 16 offensive rebounds compared to the Warriors four.

Kelly Oubre finished with 14 points, five rebounds, and two blocked shots. He was six-for-ten from the floor and made a three. Andrew Wiggins had 27 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. He was nine-for 19 from the floor, and he connected on five threes.

 Curry had another big night. Curry, who finished with 36 against the Bulls, tallied 31. He connected on five threes to go along with five rebounds and six assists. James Wiseman had six points and six rebounds. Wiseman was limited to just 21 minutes of action as he committed three fouls in the first half. He picked up his fourth foul early in the second half and spent a lot of time on the bench. Steve Kerr let him play after he committed his fifth in the fourth quarter. He fouled out with 2:43 left. 

Eric Paschall had ten, Damion Lee eight, and Brad Wanamaker nine. 

Jerami Grant led the Pistons with 27. Josh Jackson had 17, Derrick Rose 15, Saddiq Bey 11, and Sekoy Doumbaya nine. Blake Griffin had eight points, five rebounds, and three assists in the first half. Griffin was injured when he caught an elbow to his mouth. He did not play in the second half.

The Warriors return home to face the Portland Trail Blazers on New Year’s Day to start a seven-game homestand.

The game will start at 7:30 pm at Chase Center in San Francisco. 

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Suns put a stop to Kings wins 116-100

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The Phoenix Sun Devin Booker (1) goes for the mid air attempt at a ball off the boards against the Sacramento Kings at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Dec 27, 2020 (USA Today photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings had started the season off right. The Kings managed to win the first game of the season against the Denver Nuggets 124-122. This was a tough task for the Kings who on paper seemed to be a much weaker team. The Kings beat the Nuggets on Wed Dec 23rd.

The Kings then faced off against the Phoenix Suns Sat Dec 26th. The Kings beat the Suns 106-103. They had passed both the tests they face so far this year. They didn’t pass the third test on Sunday night Dec 27th in Sacramento getting beat by 16 points 116-100 at Golden One Center dropping their early 2020-21 season record to 1-2.

On Sunday, the Kings faced their first back to back games of the season. The Kings couldn’t stop the Suns who scored 34 points in the third quarter and another 26 points in the fourth quarter and put the game so far out of reach the Kings couldn’t catch up in the 16 point Sunday night loss.

In the first half the Kings held their own. They managed to outscore the Suns 33-28 in the first quarter. In the second, the Kings offense faltered and they were only able to score 20 points. This led to the Suns taking a 56-53 lead into halftime.

In the second half, it was up and down for the Kings. The Kings managed to keep pace with the Suns early in the third, but faltered later in the quarter. The Suns out scored the Kings 34-25 in the third. In the fourth, the Kings unfortunately couldn’t get back momentum. The Suns out scored the Kings 26-22 to win the game by a final of 116-100.

Buddy Hield led the Kings with 17 points as the Suns Mikal Bridges dropped 22 points.

Up Next: The Kings take on the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday at 7 PM PST at Golden One Center.

Lee hits three point buzzer beater to get Golden State’s first win; defeat Chicago 129-128 at the United Center

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The Golden State Warriors guard Damion Lee (left) hits a three pointer against the Chicago Bulls guard Tomas Satoransky (right) for a buzzer beater at the United Center in Chicago on Sun Dec 27, 2020 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors won their first game of the year when Damion Lee hit a three-pointer just before the buzzer sounded to win a thriller 129-128 over the Chicago Bulls. Under the tutelage of their new head coach Billy Donovan, the Bulls had lost their two games of the year. They wanted to put one in the win column for him Sunday night against the Warriors. 

Draymond Green was not available again as he has a strained muscle in his leg. The Warriors hoped he will be back on the court when they finished the four-game road trip Tuesday night in Detroit.

The Warriors announced that Marquese Chriss suffered a broken fibula in practice Saturday. Chriss will undergo surgery to repair the damage, and he may be lost for the entire season. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had to revamp his lineup for the match against the Bulls.

So far this season, the Warriors have not performed well on offense. Steph Curry was missing three-point shots. Kelly Oubre, Jr. could not buy a bucket. Andrew Wiggins’ game was not up to par.

The Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee torched the Warriors’ defense in the first two games of the season. Two questions had to be answered Sunday night. Could the Warriors’ offense rebound? Would the defense be shredded again?

The team answered both questions. Yes, the offense did better, and they shot better than 40% from the floor.  Curry led the team with 36 points, and he made five three pointers to help the team win.

Andrew Wiggins played well on both ends of the court. Oubre hustled all night long. He was a force on defense. He scored eight points to go along with 11 rebounds and four steals. The Warrior bench made significant contributions to help win the game. Eric Paschall, Kevon Looney, Damion Lee, Jordan Poole, and Mychal Mulder came through for the Warriors Sunday night.

The teams played a very competitive first 24 minutes of play. The Warriors finished by leading 60-56. The Warriors shot 40.4% from the floor and made nine threes. Chicago took 15 shots less than the Warriors. They were 50% from the floor, and they made six threes. The Warriors’ defense sparkled as they made eight steals and blocked two shots. They also forced Chicago to commit 14 turnovers.

The Bulls went on a 12-2 run to start the third quarter. They led 71-64, but Wiggins connected on a three to make it 71-67. The Bulls continued to maintain the lead the entire quarter. They won the third quarter 41-33 to lead 97-93 after three-quarters of play.

The Warriors did not start Curry to start the fourth quarter. Kerr brought him in with about eight minutes left in the game. Every time the Warriors inch closer, the Bulls would not have an answer.

The Warriors tied the game 100-100. The Bulls went on a 10-2 run. They led by nine 121-112 when Curry hit a two-point bucket. It just missed being a three. Oubre followed with a big bucket to close the gap to five 121-116. Curry made two free throws and a three-pointer to come within two 123-121. The Bulls connected on a three. Curry countered with a bucket and a free throw to stay within reach 126-124. Kevon Looney tied the game at 126.

The Bulls’ star, Zach LaVine, scored to put the Bulls up by two 128-126 with 16.9 seconds left to play. The Bulls’ defense focused on Curry to make sure he wouldn’t make the game’s last shot.

With five seconds left on the clock, the Warriors had to inbound the ball. Who would get the ball? Chicago, as mentioned above, double-teamed Curry. The inbound pass went to Damion Lee. Without any hesitation, Lee raced to the top of the key and drained the three-point shot to put the Warriors ahead 129-128. The team raced out to celebrate their first win of the season.

Game Notes and Stats: Curry broke Rick Barry’s consecutive free throw streak Sunday night. Curry didn’t miss a free throw as he made all nine attempts. His line was 36 points, two boards, six assists.

He was 11-for 25 from the floor, and he made five threes in 15 tries. Andrew Wiggins has 19 points, nine boards, and four assists. James Wiseman finished with seven points and three rebounds. Juan Toscano-Anderson, starting in place of Draymond Green, had five points and five rebounds. The Warrior bench players produced 52 points. Eric Paschall had 15, Damion Lee 12, Looney eight, Poole ten, and Mulder seven.

Zach LaVine paced the Bulls with 33. Lauri Markkanen 23, Wendell Carter Jr 22, Coby White 20. Otto Porter, Jr, coming off the bench, added 12.

The Warriors are 1-2 for the year. The Bulls are now 0-3.

The Warriors face the Pistons in Detroit Tuesday night. The game begins at 3 pm. The Pistons are 0-2 so far this year.

Sacarmento Kings game wrap: Kings pick up second win of season defeat Suns 106-103

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The Phoenix Sun Devin Booker (1) tries to drive to the basket on the Sacramento Kings Richaun Holmes (left) in the first quarter of their game at Walking Stick Arena in downtown Phoenix on Sat Dec 26, 2020 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings have started the season off right. They were able to beat the Denver Nuggets last Wednesday on the opening night of the season. On Saturday night, the Kings were set to take on the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns wrapped up the season on a high note last year. After making the bubble, they were able to make all their games going 8-0 in Orlando. In the offseason, they managed to add veteran point guard Chris Paul. The Suns then started the season off right by beating the formidable Dallas Mavericks in their first game. The Suns and Kings matchup was going to be a quality comparison of talent. The Kings out scored the Suns and were able to hold onto a 106-103 three point victory.

In the game the Kings jumped out to an early lead outscoring the Suns 31-25 in the first quarter. For the most part, the Kings were able to hold the lead going into halftime by a score of 59-54. The Kings had been playing a strong game up until this point. The key for them going forward was not giving up a “meltdown” quarter.

In the second half, the Kings did not give up any monster quarters. However, at times in the second half, the Kings did slip into their old ways. The encouraging part for the Kings was the ability to stop the bleeding and get back on track. The Kings and Suns matched pace in the third each scoring 25 points. The Kings weren’t able to replicate the offensive success in the first half in the last quarter but they did just enough to hold on. The Suns out scored the Kings 24-23 but the Kings were able to hold on 106-103 for the win.

The Kings got a tremendous performance from De’Aaron Fox as he scored 24 points and had seven assists. Devin Booker led the way for the Suns with 26 points. Harrison Barnes had 11 rebounds compared to the Suns Deandre Ayton who had 12.

Up next: The Kings will run it back against the Suns on Sunday at 6 PM PST at the Golden One Center.

NBA Christmas Day special: Bucks crush the Warriors 138-99

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Golden State Warrior rookie center James Wiseman (33) goes for the throw down against the Milwaukee Bucks on Fri Dec 25, 2020 in Milwaukee (@warriors photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas Day at the FiServe Arena in Milwaukee. The Bucks, one of the best teams in the NBA, blew out the Warriors 138-99. Draymond Green did not play due to a sore foot. Golden State hopes he will play in Chicago on Sunday.

The Warriors have been blown out in their first two games of the season. Their start has been similar to an ice cream flavor, a very Rocky Road. 

The Warriors were no match for the Bucks on Friday. They lost the first quarter 33-25. Steph Curry could not get anything going. He scored seven points. Five were free throws, and he had one two-point bucket. Andrew Wiggins scored a bucket, but Kelly Oubre did not score. 

The Warriors played better in the second period. They played the Bucks evenly and lost the period 33-31. The rookie center, James Wiseman, played well. He finished the first half with fourteen points, four rebounds, and two blocked shots. Wiggins had six in the quarter, and Steph finished the half with fifteen. Milwaukee owns a ten-point advantage 66-56.

During the Warriors’ great five-year run, they owned the second half, especially the third quarter. The Warrior mojo disappeared Friday afternoon. The Bucks put on an offensive display as they crushed the Warriors in the second half. They outscored the Warriors 73-43 in the final 24 minutes of the game. The Warriors did not quit. They played hard, but their offense was non-existent. Milwaukee won by 39 points 138-99.

Game Notes and Stats: Even though the Bucks blew out the Dubs, there were some bright spots. James Wiseman continued to impress. He tallied 18 points, eight rebounds in 25 minutes of action.

James was 5-11 from the floor and made three threes. He also blocked three shots. Curry kicked in with nineteen. It was not Steph’s night. He was six-for-16 from the floor and made two threes in ten tries. Andrew Wiggins played better than he did against Brooklyn. He ended with twelve points and six rebounds. Kelly Oubre tried but did not have success. He put three points on the board. He was one-for-10 from the floor and 0-for four from three-point range. 

Bench players Brad Wanamaker, Jordan Poole, and Damion Lee tallied 11, 11, and 9, respectively.

Kris Middleton led the Bucks with 31. Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokoumpo scored fifteen. He had thirteen rebounds. Donte DiVincenzo had thirteen, Jrue Holiday twelve, Bobby Portis ten, and D.J. Augustin thirteen.

The Warriors shot just 34% from the floor. The Bucks shot 54%. Teams that shoot 34% will not win many games in the NBA. The Warriors made ten threes. Milwaukee had twenty threes. The Bucks won the boards 69-49.

The Warriors move onto Chicago to face the Bulls Sunday night. The game will start at 5:00 pm.

In Memoriam- The NBA announced that Boston Celtic legend K.C.Jones, who was 88, passed away. Jones, who is in the NBA’s Hall of Fame, won eight championships with the Boston Celtics as a player and two more as a coach.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings pull off overtime win in Denver 124-122

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The Sacramento Kings Buddy Hield (24) drives to the basket against the Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr (left) and center Nikola Jokic (right) in overtime Wed Dec 23, 2020 in Denver (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The 2021 NBA season has arrived. The Sacramento Kings took on their first opponent of the season on Wednesday night. It is a tough assignment for the Kings as they took on the Denver Nuggets in Denver and pulled off a 124-122 win. However, before we get into the game, let’s chat preseason.

The Kings had many positive signs in this camp. Tyrese Haliburton looks like the real deal. He can shoot, defend and has already been seen dropping dimes to his teammates for easy buckets. The future looks bright for this one.

The Kings core looks to be healthy (Knock on wood) entering the season. De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III, and Tyrese Haliburton look like they will all contribute major roles this season.

The game was a wild one. The Kings fell to an early deficit against the Nuggets in the first half. The Kings weren’t playing their best in the first half as the Nuggets outscored them 60-53. The Kings needed to make adjustments on defense and get stops if they had any chance of winning the game.

In the second half, the script flipped for the Kings. They managed to outscore the Nuggets 36-24 in the third quarter, thanks largely to ten points from De’Aaron Fox. Fox was clearly leading the team back into the game, where they took the lead 89-84 heading into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings faltered on defense. Marvin Bagley III fouled out with Rachaun Holmes. This led to some bad matchups on defense that allowed the Nuggets to tie the game and send it to overtime.

In overtime, the Kings miraculously came out with the win. As time was winding down in OT, Nikola Jokic lost control of the ball, and it was gathered up by Harrison Barnes. Barnes then proceeded to drive to the hoop but was blocked from behind. As time was expiring, Buddy Hield got the put back off the rim and got the bucket to win at the buzzer 124-122.

Next Up: The Kings come home to play the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at 7 PM PST.

Brooklyn Nets blow out Warriors to start 2020-2021 season 125-99

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The Brooklyn Nets Kevin Durant (7) goes for the throw down against the Golden State Warriors Kelly Oubre (12) as Eric Paschall (7) watches at Barclay Center in Brooklyn on Tue Dec 22, 2020 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors opened the 2020-2021 season on a sour note Tuesday night against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Nets blew the game open in the first quarter, and the Warriors could never catch up as they lost by a score of 125-99.

It was a tale of two teams. The host team, the Brooklyn Nets, under the tutelage of new head coach Steve Nash, presented themselves as legitimate contenders for the Eastern Conference crown. They added two superstar players, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

Irving joined the club after a turbulent history when he was with the Boston Celtics. He didn’t play much last season as he suffered a shoulder injury. Durant, the former Warrior, also did not play last year due to an Achilles heel injury.

Durant entered the game hoping to show everyone that he was back and that he could return to his status as one of the best players in the NBA. D’Andre Jordan holds down the center position for Brooklyn.

Spencer Dinwiddie, who averaged 20 points a game last year, was the other guard. Forward Joe Harris adds punch to the lineup as he is an excellent three-point shooter. The Nets’ second unit has two players that could be starters elsewhere. Caris LeVert is one of the best sixth men in the league. Jarrett Allen is very tall and is a rim protector.

On the other hand, the Warriors were hoping to show the NBA that they were on the road back to respectability. They had the worst record in the NBA last year. Steph Curry played in five games before being injured.

Klay Thomson also missed the entire year with an ACL injury. Klay will miss this year with an Achilles heel injury. Draymond Green did not play Tuesday night due to a sore foot. He is expected back soon.

The Warriors’ first-round draft pick, nineteen-year-old James Wiseman, was making his debut in the NBA. He did not play in any preseason games and just three games in college. His excitement level must have been very high.

Kelly Oubre, Jr and Andrew Wiggins were playing with Curry for the first time. Questions abound about how they would fare against a team like the Nets. The answer Tuesday was not favorable. Neither one had a good game.

The Warriors offense seemed to be out of whack. One game does not make a season. The Warriors coaching staff know that it takes time for a team to gel. The Warriors have so many new players. Most of them are young and haven’t played together as a team for any time. 

The Warriors took the lead when Steph Curry tallied the first bucket of the night. The Nets, behind Durant and Irving, overwhelmed them in the first quarter. Durant and Irving scored 20 of the Nets’ first 21 points.

The Nets finished the first quarter with a 40-25 lead. The Warriors could not find a way to stop the Net’s offense. James Wiseman, a rookie, has a lot to learn about playing in the NBA.

The Warriors did play somewhat better in the second period. The Nets outscored them 23-20 to finish the first half of play with an 18-point advantage. Irving scored 24 for Brooklyn. Durant and LeVert each had 12. Curry led the Warriors with sixteen. Wiggins had eight. Wiseman kicked in with seven.

The Warriors were looking to turn things around in the third quarter. That didn’t happen as the Nets continued to hammer them. The Nets outscored them by ten points to increase the lead to 28, 99-77. The Nets’ head coach Steve Nash did not have to play Durant or Irving in the fourth quarter. The Warriors did win the quarter 28-26. It was too little, too late. The Nets win 125-99.

Game Notes and stats: Steph Curry led the Warriors with 20 points and ten assists. James Wiseman finished his debut with 19 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes of playing time.

Many of his points came in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach. Kelly Oubre had a tough night. He did make two sensational dunks, but nothing else worked as he finished with just six points and seven rebounds. It was not for lack of effort. Andrew Wiggins had thirteen. 

Kevin Durant played 24 minutes and looked like the Durant of old. He knocked 22  points to go along with five rebounds and three assists. Kyrie Irving tallied 26. He connected on four three in 24 minutes of action. Caris LeVert had 20. Jarrett Allen’s line was eight points and seven rebounds. 

The Warriors travel to Milwaukee to play the Bucks on Christmas Day. It will be Game Two of the four-game road trip. The schedule has not been kind to the Warriors as the Bucks are among the best teams in the Eastern Conference. The game will start at 11:30 am.